McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1961

Arguments concerning the nature and extent of the North American glaciation as a whole, and that of Labrador in particular, have been regularly appearing in print from 1883 until 1959. From the theories and reports presented it is possible to draw together several distinct lines of thought. Early work by Bell (1882-84), Daly (1902), and Coleman (1921) suggested that the higher parts of the eastern edge of north east America had not been covered by continental ice. Coleman goes as far as to say that in the Nachvak area, “the unglaciated condition is known to reach at least 50 miles …  Lire la suite

An understanding of the behaviour of rocks subjected to stress is of great importance in engineering practice. Many large engineering projects utilise rock materials either directly, as part of the structure, or indirectly, as the foundation upon which the structure ,or indirectly, as a function upon which the structure will rest. [...] Amongst others the United States Bureau of Mines (2) (3) (4) and Association of Mine Managers in South Africa (5) have published data relating to the physical properties of quartzites. Some of these data are included for comparative purposes.  Lire la suite

“What I have tried to do in this and in all my writing on the early days of this country is what the artist does when he paints a sketch of a Canadian scene or a Canadian person. I have tried to select something that is beautiful or significant or interesting or essential to an understanding of ourselves. I have tried to tell the stories of personalities, men and women who have by their human qualities, aspirations, and activities, given substance to our history, whose loves and hates and fears and achievements have been woven into the very fabric of …  Lire la suite

Like Mackinder, “I propose to define geography as the science whose main function is to trace the interaction of man in society and so much of his environment as varies locally.” (13:143) To write a 'human geography' of any area as it exists to-day, is inevitably to attempt an appraisal of its potentialities for human development. This is no less true of studies descriptive of times past. And the student who presents a series of such pictures is, perforce, brought face to face with the fact that estimates of worth do change quite radically with the passage of the centuries. …  Lire la suite

The subject of oxygen atoms has a long history dating back to Becquerel. In 1859, he described a ‘long-lived luminous species’ produced when an electric current was passed through oxygen. In 1891, during an investigation of electrical discharges through various gases at low pressures, Thomson observed a luminous glow in oxygen which persisted ‘some considerable time’ after the electrical discharge had been interrupted. This glow was subsequently called the ‘oxygen afterglow’, but is now generally referred to as ‘air afterglow’. In the years between 1859 and 1900, a large number of investigators round a variety of afterglows from discharged air …  Lire la suite

The capacity of both the human liver and hepatic tissue from various animal species to synthesize, interconvert and destroy many, if not all, of the large number of estrogens now known to exist, has been amply demonstrated by numerous workers. Techniques have so changed and improved in the past decade that it is now possible to have definitive and quantitative concepts about the different reaction sequences. It is fully realized that these same advances present grave difficulties (such as the determination of radiochemical purity) which will be discussed later in this work.  Lire la suite

At any time a farm-firm has at its disposal given quantities of various factors of production. This study is concerned with investigating a procedure which will generally lead to that combination of production factors which is both feasible and most renumerative. Any theory of the firm has much the same objectives but sufficient differences in assumptions exist to make a general theory which would include all others an expository tool excelling in completeness rather than lucidity. The subject areas of difference deal with the nature of the objective functional to be maximized, the differentibility of production relationships; the stochastic nature …  Lire la suite

The closest relative of carbon in the Periodic Table, silicon or silicium is named from one of the common minerals within which it occurs, namely flint, which in Latin was called "silex". After oxygen, silicon is the most abundant element in the earth's crust. Because of its great affinity for oxygen, it occurs exclusively as the oxide, namely silicon dioxide (silica) or quartz and as the hydrated oxide, silicic acid in the form of the salts of various metals. Silica may occur in the free state or mixed with other minerals in siliceous rocks notably in granites. Being one of …  Lire la suite

Colour is one of the most important single quality attributes of tomatoes for processing. The character of the red colour affects the appearance and public acceptance of the finished products. The colour of the raw product is related to that of the finished product and processing conditions cannot usually improve on it. The production cost of a high grade juice or paste does not differ significantly from that of a lower grade juice (Filice and Malcolm, 1958). Both the commercial grower and the processor need an insight into the mechanism of the colour formation, the former as an aid in …  Lire la suite

Coronary insufficiency occurs when there is a disproportion between the oxygen needs of the heart and the oxygen supply to the heart. It can therefore be produced either (a) by decreasing the available oxygen supply to the heart, (b) by increasing the work of the heart, or (c) by a combination of both changes. The diagnosis of angina pectoris or coronary insufficiency can often easily be made in the presence of a typical clinical history and characteristic electrocardiographic changes. In many instances, however, the appraisal of substernal and precordial pain may be extremely difficult.  Lire la suite

This thesis attempts to present a study of sources of Canadian Air law, with some emphasis on problems of liability. It aims to provide the reader with a description of the existing governmental agencies related to aeronautics, and with the major legal systems in Canada. [...]  Lire la suite

Western Europe has made a great step towards integration. The shape is not yet definite, as the presense of two blocs, EEC and EFTA, proves. Less than thirty years ago integration was beyond the horizon. The problem was not of economic order. "… we are so divided politically, burdened with a malicious heredity from our past that the realization of a single market on a continental level, will remain, for a long time to come, an Utopia." 1/ "All far-reaching schemas for a Customs Union to embrace all or most of the European States are quite Utopian and fantastic. They …  Lire la suite

The problem was to explain effects of mountain terrain, the Canadian Cordillera, on distributions of precipitation and temperature. Techniques from several fields of meteorology were blended with modern data processing in an attempt to overcome the sparseness and non-representativeness of weather observations. Atmospheric characteristics over British Columbia were found to be sharply differentiated by the direction of the flow at the 700 millibar level. Linearized two-dimensional mountain airflow theory was combined with relevant atmospheric characteristics to derive simple models of precipitation distributions over mountain ranges. These models were used to supplement observations to obtain improved charts of precipitation over the …  Lire la suite

The villains of Shakespeare are the most vivid and original in English drama, yet they are not entirely products of his imagination. With this sort of character, as with his plots and other characters, Shakespeare worked within viable dramatic traditions which were strong enough to provide a base and an inspiration for his genius, yet not so rigid as to limit it. One of the strongest of these traditions was that of the Machiavel. The works of Machiavelli were readily available to the Elizabethans. Although the ‘Discourses’ was not published in English translation until 1636 and ‘The Prince’ until 1640, …  Lire la suite

Spontaneous abortion in man is a subject important to workers in many biological fields -- to the obstetrician who must deal not only with the event itself, but also with its psychological and social aspects; to the demographer who should take account of it in his analyses of population structure and change; to the investigator of reproductive physiology who attempts to find the cause of what is one of the most frequent abnormalities of pregnancy; to the geneticist who tries to assess the role of heredity in the production of such abnormalities; and to the biometrician who is required to …  Lire la suite

This thesis reports an attempt to measure the duration of the period during which cells duplicate their nuclear complement of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in preparation for mitosis, in the epithelia of the tongue, oesophagus, and intestine of the rat. Information was also sought on the duration of other stages in the cell cycle, and on the renewal time of the entire cell population of these epithelia. The nucleoside thymidine, labelled with tritium (H3), was used as a DNA precursor, and labelled nuclei were detected by radioautography.  Lire la suite

One of the major steroids secreted by the rat adrenal has been shown to be the 2018 hemiketal of 18-nydroxy-11-desoxycorticosterone. This compound gives a positive Porter-Silber reaction but does not reduce tetrazolium. Its identification presents the first proof for the existence of a 21-hydroxylated steroid With a 20~18 hemiketal linkage as a natura11y occurring product. The compound appears to possess mineralocorticoid activity comparable to that of 11-desoxycorticosterone but no glucocorticoid activity. Its production by isolated rat adrenals is increased 10-fold by incubation with ACTH. Addition of 11-desoxycorticosterone produces a similar increase in the absence of ACTH.  Lire la suite

The philosophical question of constancy and change, as applied to the proteins of the animal body, has been a subject of controversy for over half a century. The experiments of Folin (1905 a) on the effect of the protein level of the diet on the composition of urine marked the beginning of modern concepts of protein metabolism. On the basis of his experiment, Folin (1905 b) assumed that protein catabolism is not all of one kind, but could proceed via two pathways which are essentially independent and different. One pathway of catabolism is variable in quantity of end products, while …  Lire la suite

During his lifetime he was not widely recognized as a writer. His work never appealed to the public at large, and in his later years the cultural policy of the Third Reich reduced the circulation of his writings even further. Only years after his death his qualities as a writer were discovered. A brief examination of his life may shed sane light on his present position in the literary world. Musil grew up in a wealthy home and was educated according to a traditional pattern by which difficult children were sent to military academies. Musil, deciding against a military career, …  Lire la suite

The reaction cross-section has been measured for Bi209 irradiated with 90+/-2 Mev. protons. Isotopes of Bi, Pb, Tl, and Au were separated chemically, and identified by their half-lives and gamma-ray spectra. The measured cross sections were compared with the theoretical values calculated from Serber's theory, and were found to be in agreement within the experimental error of 30% to 50%. At the proton energy used, it was found that the predominant reaction was Bi209 (p,pxn) where x = 1, 2, 3, etc. up to ca. 8. Emission of more than one proton was less likely by a factor of ca. …  Lire la suite

The Soviet Union is truly a meeting ground of nationalities; the 1959 census returns list no less than 112 separate races, nationalities and tribes, speaking as many different languages. No other country in the world has such a diversity and mixture of peoples within its borders; consequently, no other country has been faced with such a minority or nationalities problem. The attitude of the Bolsheviks, rulers of the Soviet Union, toward these nationalities, forms the subject matter of this enquiry; in order to understand the factors affecting their attitude, it is first necessary to examine, albeit imperfectly, the Tsarist nationality …  Lire la suite

Radar signals at 3.2 cm are corrected electronically for rain attenuation before being displayed on a scale of grey. The correction is computed by integration of tile signals in a feed-back loop. The use of logarithmic and antilogarithmic devices makes it possible to apply the proper power law relationships. Corrected grey scale CAPPI records have been obtained. The signal from heavy cores is enhanced although the total area on the display remains that of the original attenuated signal. Subsequent analysis of the system, based on previous theoretical work, led to a new adjustment method. At 5.7 cm correction for rain …  Lire la suite

The clinical condition of acute gastric dilatation is of considerable importance to both surgeons and physicians because of the rather sudden onset and the frequently fatal outcome if one fails to recognize it immediately. Fortunately, the event is rare, nevertheless it is serious and embarrassing because it develops usually as an unexpected complication. It is known to follow trauma, infections and particularly surgical procedures. The incidence of gastric dilatation has decreased considerably since the introduction of methods of anaesthesia and of gastric intubation in abdominal procedures. However, it still remains a problem of unknown etiology in many of the cases …  Lire la suite

NaI(Tl) scintillation counters have been used in conjunction with a rapid target extraction unit to study isomers of a few seconds half-life, produced by proton bombardment. By means of proton excitation functions the isomers In114m and Ag103m have been identified. In114m decays by emission of a 164 ± 2 Kev r-ray of an E3 character and has a 2.3 ± 0.2 sec. half-life. Ag103m also exhibits an E3 de-excitation, and has a half-life of 5.7 ± 0.3 sec. and a transition energy of 135 ± 2 Kev. Shell model systematics are discussed.  Lire la suite

Nine rectangular reinforced concrete beams, without web reinforcement but with varying amounts of longitudinal tensile reinforcement, were tested under simple span concentrated loading at a shear span to effective depth ratio of three. The results of this investigation indicated that increased resistance to diagonal tension cracking was associated with increased amounts of longitudinal reinforcement. [...] Measurements made of the slip of longitudinal reinforcing bars showed this to be relatively small. Strain measurements made above diagonal tension cracks indicated major stress redistributions at formation of the cracks.  Lire la suite

It is well known that a change in the stimulus characteristics of an experimental situation to which an organism bas become adapted evokes a variety of measurable bodily reactions. Changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance, as well as more easily observable reactions, such as increased muscular tension and orienting responses, have been found to result from the introduction of a stimulus change. This reaction complex has been referred to as startle response (Landis & Hunt, 1939), orienting response (Robinson & Gantt, 1947), and reactions to novelty (Bindra, 1959). The use of such terms emphasizes the …  Lire la suite

Cooper, J. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This thesis is an account of the history, legislation, growth and structure of the New Towns of the London area. It includes an examination of the planning principles involved in the internal design of the towns, and an appraisal of the broader implications of the new towns as a facet of the policy of the decentralization of population from London.  Lire la suite

The first open-heart operation involving the use of an artificial heart-lung machine was performed by Gibbon (1954). However, this concept of artificial maintenance of the cardio-respiratory function had been considered over a century before. In 1812 Legallois stated "If one could substitute for the heart a kind of injection of arterial blood either natural or artificially made, one would succeed easily in maintaining alive indefinitely any part of the body whatsoever." Commencing with the development of in vitro perfusion of isolated organs by physiologists such as Starling (1925), work in this field led gradually to the design of blood pumps …  Lire la suite

A two-dimensional and an axisymmetric diffuser of the reversed de Laval nozzle type with perforations on the convergent portion were tested in the UTIA 16 in. x 16 in. supersonic wind tunnel at a freestream Mach number of 2. 50 and a Reynolds number of 2. 50 x 10^5 per inch in order to study their operating characteristics. [...]  Lire la suite

During the past two decades, a rapid growth of interest in the search for high temperature materials has accompanied developments in aero-engines, rockets, ballistics, combustion chambers, gas turbines, ram-jets and other novel propulsive mechanisms. The aim of this thesis is to make available to fellow students, engineers and applied physicists a general survey plus the extra data obtained at McGill, which would be useful as an introductory reference in the subject. [...]  Lire la suite

In 1947 the F. A. O. Committee on Calorie Conversion Factors and Food Composition Tables met in Washington, D. C. to "develop principles on which average food composition figures used by individual countries could be based." The recommendation of this committee was that further research should be carried out "on energy - yielding constituents of food and the derivation of calorie values." As part of the investigation of the physiological fuel values proposed by Atwater in 1899 and widely used since that time for determining the useful calorie value of human foods, a comparative digestibility study involving humans, sheep, swine, …  Lire la suite